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Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown

Welcome to Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown!

Welcome to Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown (NAISAB), an interdisciplinary working group of faculty and students interested in teaching and research that explores, and increases the understanding of, the cultural traditions and political experiences of indigenous peoples (especially in the Western Hemisphere) through historical and contemporary lenses. NAISAB currently includes 18 faculty members and postdoctoral fellows in the departments of American Studies, History, Anthropology, Religion, and Music, as well as the Haffenreffer Museum. Courses offered by NAISAB affiliated faculty explore American Indian historic and contemporary lifeways; the history of contact between European and Native peoples; environmental health and research in Native communities; historic and contemporary peoples of Central and South America; indigenous knowledge and the sciences; and Native American religion, literature, and media.

While Brown does not yet have an official Native American/Indigenous Studies concentration, students can choose a focus in Native American Studies within the Ethnic Studies concentration, in the American Studies Department. For the requirements of an Ethnic Studies Concentration click here.

During the 2013-2014 academic year, NAISAB hosted a lectureship series (sponsored by a Faculty Lectureship Award and the Dean of the Faculty) that brought four indigenous academic speakers to Brown to discuss issues of gender theory and identity; traditional medicine; indigenous language; and tribal sovereignty as they relate to the study of Native peoples. For the full schedule, see our listing of events. During the 2014-2015 academic year many of our affiliated faculty are on leave, but we encourage you to check out events associated with the John Carter Brown Indigenous Studies Initiative.